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PATENTED 001T. 11', 1904. 1

@XR-iiwemoo UNITED STATES Patented October 11, 1904.

HERMANN G. PAPE,

OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

AUTOMATIC CIRCUIT-CLOSER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 772,291, dated October 11, 1904:.

Application filed May 17, 1904.

To all whom, it ntay concern:

Be it known that I, HERMANN G. PAPE, a citizen of the United States, residing at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Automatic Circuit-Closer, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an automatic circuit-closing device for electrical instruments, the object being to provide means associated with the instrument for automatically closing an electrical circuit when the instrument is held in position for use.

More particularly the invention relates to a circuit-closer for the instruments of anaudiphone, arranged to close the circuit when the instrument is disposed in that position which it occupies whenheld to themouth or car, as the case may be,for the purpose of transmitting sound-vibrations or receiving them from a distant point. 7

One object of the invention is to producea simple, durable, and completely automatic circuit-closer arranged in the instrument handle or support and readily accessible for repair.

Another object is to provide the handle with improved means for effecting the attachment of the same to the instrument.

To the accomplishment of these general objects and others subordinate thereto the invention is exemplified in the construction and arrangement of parts illustrated in the accompanying drawings and hereinafter described and claimed.

In said drawings, Figure l is a side elevation of an instrument equipped with a handle with which my novel circuit-closeris associated. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of the subject-matter of Fig. 1, showing the inclosed circuitcloser, the positions of the parts when the circuit is open being shown in dotted lines; and Fig. 3 is a detail perspective view of the plug removed from the handle.

Like characters of reference are employed to designate corresponding parts throughout the views.

.1 indicates a handle designed for attachment at one end to an audiphone ear-piece or other electrical instrument 2. The handle is hollow,

Serial No. 208,468. (No model.)

its lower end being preferably enlarged to afford a grip and closed at the end opposite the instrument by a plug 3, provided with sockets 4 for the reception of the line-wire connections. The plug is designed to lend a finished appearance to the end of the handle and is formed with a reduced portion 5, fitted into the'handle andretained by small screws 6, which may be removed to permit the detachment of the plug when desired. To the upper erwise secured a contact-plate 8, in electrical connection with one side of the instrumentcircuit (not shown) and having an upstanding projection 9 located at the axis of the handle and .opposite the upper end of the axial bore 10 of the plug. Also secured to the upper face of the plug is a contact-spring 11, having its free end disposed over, but normally out of contact with, the projection 9 of the plate 8 and designed when the handle is in an upright position, as shown in Fig. 1, to be urged into contact with said projection by a loose weight, preferably a ball 12, movable within the handle and of only slightly less diameter than the internal diameter of the lower enlarged portion thereof. The ball 12 is entirely unattached and its movement in one direction is limited by a stop, preferably a shoulder- 13, formed-by reducing the internal diameter of the handle. This stop is so positioned that the play of the ball is'only sufficient to permit the requisite movement of the contact-spring for the purpose of opening and closing the circuit, as it is obvious that any considerable movement of the ball would cause it to strike the contact-plates with sufficient force to effect their ultimate derangement. It will also be noted that the ball is centered directly over the contacts, which, as stated, are arranged axially within the handle, so that the ball instead of resting upon an intermediate point of the spring is imposed upon the end thereof and when in the closed position is supported by both contact members. Thus the opening and closing of the circuit is effected by slight movement of the ball and the parts are so disposed as to practically preclude the possibility of derangement.

or interior face 7 of the plug is screwed or 0th Within the upper comparatively narrow portion of the handle is disposed a metal tube 14, the upper threaded end 15 of which projects beyond the handle and extends through the peripheral wall 16 of the instrument 2.- The displacement of the instrument is prevented by a nut 17, screwed upon the threaded end of the tube Within the instrument-casing, as shown. The tube 14 performs several functions. It stiffens the handle, serves as a conduit for a portion of the wiring, (not shown,) and afiords a simple and convenient means for attaching the handle to the instrument.

The operation of the device is as follows: When the handle assumes an upright position, which is naturally the case when the ear-piece is presented to the ear or the transmitter to the mouth, the weight of the ball 12 will press the inner end of the spring 11 into contact with the projection on the contact-plate 8, as shown in full lines in Fig. 2, thus closing the circuit through the instrument. If, however, the handle assumes either a horizontal or an inverted position, the ball will move toward the stop 13, permitting the separation of the contacts to open the circuit. The stop, however, will prevent the ball from moving entirely out of contact with the spring, and as a consequence when the instrument is raised to the ear the ball instead of striking a violent blow upon the spring will merely press the latter against the lower contact to close the circuit.

It is thought that from the foregoing the construction and operation of my automatic circuit-closer will be clearly apparent; but while the present embodiment of the invention is believed to be preferable, because of its extreme simplicity and the facility with which the parts may be assembled, I nevertheless reserve the right to effect such changes, modifications, and variations of the illustrated structure as may fall properly Within the scope of the protection prayed.

What 1 claim is 1. The combination with a handle having a hollow lower portion, of a loose ball confined within the handle, and contact elements having their point of contact located at the axis of the handle and centered under the ball.

2. The combination with a hollow handle, of a loose ball confined therein, a detachable plug closing. one end of the handle, fixed and movable contact elements mounted on the plug and having their point of contact substantially at the axis thereof, the ball being disposed to urge the movable element into engagement with the fixed element when the handle assumes an upright position, and a stop disposed to prevent the ball from moving an appreciable distance away from the movable contact element.

3. The combination with a hollow handle, of a loose ball confined therein, a detachable plug closing one end of the handle, fixed and movable contact elements mounted on the plug, the ball being disposed to urge the movable element into engagement with the fixed element when the handle assumes an upright position, and a stop disposed to prevent the ball from moving out of engagement with the movable contact element.

t. The combination with a hollow handle, and a plug closing'one end thereof, of a contact-plate and a contact-sprin g mounted on the plug and disposed to contact with each other at the axis of' the handle, a ball loosely confined within the handle to bear upon the spring directly over its point of contact, and a stop disposed at the side of the ball opposite the plug to arrest the ball and prevent it from moving out of contact with the spring when the latter moves away from the contact-plate.

5. The combination with an instrument-casing, of a hollow handle, a tube inserted in the handle and having its end extended through the wall of the instrument-casing, and a nut located within the casing and screwed upon the end of the tube to retain the casing in contact with one end of the handle.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto afiixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

HERMANN 'G. PAPE.

Witnesses:

J OHN H. SIGGERS, SULLIVAN V. J OHNSON. 

